More people who consider themselves Democrats rather than Republicans.

The Democrats.

Hot button issues.

The issue of gay marriage taken to a national level.

Democrats - in favor of gay marriages.

The Democrats need to pull out strong on the third most important issue of terrorism.

Conclusion.

On November 2, 2004 almost 120 million voters cast ballots for President of the United States. Just fewer than 60% of the population let their voices be heard in one of the most controversial and closest elections in history (Electoral Results). The phrase characterizing this election, ?too close to call? could not have been more accurate. Both candidates, Republican, President George W. Bush, and Democrat, Senator John Kerry, hit the campaign trail running and did not finish, as in the case of Senator Kerry, until the morning of the election. Poll after poll projected the two men neck and neck. And even the television stations were cautious of announcing who had won each state until every last ballot had been counted. In this election, every voice truly mattered. And at the end of the following day, George W. Bush with a 51% majority of the popular vote and 286 electoral votes was announced the winner and his team of associates and advisors began preparing for their second term in office.

[...] It is impossible for the American people to get behind a plan that is not there, and to trust in a President whom they do not believe has a clear idea of how to keep them safe. This issue combined with the morality topic was where Senator Kerry took the largest hit. This election will go down in history, almost as famous as the election of 2000 where President Bush squeezed out his first narrow victory. Although this race was close, not too many things could have changed its outcome. [...]

[...] When gay marriage was brought to the front of this race, John Kerry was forced to take a stand, the liberal stand. Democrats are in favor of gay marriage s or at least civil unions, but this issue divided the country, as one could see in the days that followed the election where eleven states banned either gay marriages or civil unions or both, and led to John Kerry's downfall. A parallel can be drawn. ?Liberals once lost elections for supporting civil rights as well and now look back on those losses as badges of honor. [...]

[...] With these notions in mind one can get a clearer picture of how the Presidential election of 2004 was shaped. On the whole the two major political parties in the United States hold opposing views on the main issues at hand. First the Republican Party tends to have more conservative ideas about how to deal with economic and social policies. They stand for a smaller government, higher amounts of spending for national defense, lower taxes (especially for high earners), pro-life views on abortion, and against affirmative action, gun control, and rights for homosexuals. [...]